June 13 '07: A $1 million project, funded by Oregon State University, is studying the impacts of repeated tsunamis on a replica model of the town of Seaside in the hopes that researchers will be able to help develop more effective evacuation and warning systems in case of a killer wave, the Gazette-Times reported.

According to the Associated Press, the "model buildings will be put in place this summer, but a big part of the replica is a mock-up of the sea floor leading up to the town. The study aims to determine the size of a potential tsunami in Seaside and wether it would be better to run for the hills or get to an upper floor of a beachfront hotel."

The AP reported, that researchers are looking into "vertical evacuation" - escaping danger by "taking refuge on the second floor." However a large tsunami rushing toward the shore would not allow for very much time for those trying to reach higher elevation.

Local officials said that they are worried about what they called the "500-year event" wherein a tsunami equivalent to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, would slam into the Oregon coast. Such a large tsunami, cased by an earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone offshore, "would take about 15 to 20 minutes to hit," the Gazette reported. There is about a 14 percent chance, officials said.

The study is being conducted by the OSU Wave Research Laboratory. There will be an open house on November 9 and 10 later this year. The project is expected to run until next April. It will begin operations this fall.